Album Notes

You never can tell with the road, ‘cept that eventually you’ll find yourself. An Okanagan, British Columbia (Peachland to be exact) black sheep, Shane Watt’s been making his way up and down the cross-Canada 401 since the age of 16, playing bass and electric guitar in more barrooms than he cares to remember, peddling furious, powerful music to punks and truckers alike. Depending on when you talk to him about Elan’s Diner, this melodic, nostalgic debut is either a new beginning, a turn around the bend or the culmination of a musical journey that’s chronologically seen him channeling the Clash, the Kinks as well as CCR and Nick Drake. On this release, Watt reclaims the label of folk musician and invokes an endangered landscape that’s inevitably falling prey to commercialism. Providing a lasting fair that’s equal parts synaptic punk and bitter-sweet love ballad, Elan’s Diner as a tribute to Canadiana is reminiscent of the endearing innocence of 70s pop psychedelica (the Beach Boys, the Zombies). Watt has called Montreal home for the past twelve years, and in that time, has gathered around him a close-knit community of collaborators, having played in and alongside numerous artists including early 90s stalwarts Adamtozoe, and as a bassist for Lederhosen Lucil, Biffy Perdu and Cooper Thomson. Presently he is also working with Krista LL Muir as a musician and musical co-conspiritor. Though Elan’s Diner is first and foremonst a personal project for Watt, his friends come in to lend a hand. Watt is joined by Jon Stein (Merlin, Namm, Ampground) along with musical collaborator Krista Muir (Lederhosen Lucil) as co-producer and musician. Live, Watt plays alongside Muir and occasionally others including : Starvin Hungry’s Spencer Warren, Lake of Stew's Brad Holy, Jon Stein and the Silver Heart's Mike Begin.